Rewire our brains

[willPower4me]

Just because you have an urge or craving doesn't mean there is something wrong with you. It's all part of habitual behavior. Notice and Accept them. Be mindful. Know that if you resist an urge it helps your brain to continue resisting everytime you don't give in. Thus making it easier and less urges eventually. If you give in, the addiction strengthens that part of your brain, your feeding it, it will want more. My advice is to know when you are craving, stop, think. 1. Is this helping me get to my goal.?2. How will I feel if I take a pill ( probably bad). ? 3. Why do I feel the need to take it? Chances are,, if you let it play out, you will stop thinking about it . Move on and what's the worst that will happen? You will have a bad day? Well, that's part of life, ups and downs! We must deal with each emotion and forget about negative thoughts quickly. Think happy thoughts. Commitment is key. 100% dedication to recovery, sobriety! No relapsing, if so, dust yourself off, start again! Don't berate yourself. Rewire our thinking . It's part of heeling.
Just some food for thought. This has helped me.....

[Hatetrampillz]

Glad to hear that. No pills today. I'm still disappointed in myself.

[freshstart01]

I see your point. The more you repeat a behavior, you body/ mind responds to it . Like eating, drugs, etc. So if we learn to poke holes in out thoughts we learn new behavior. I learned this in therapy.

[willPower4me]

Gnarley,
We do rationalize, but at that point.... We must be aware, accept the urge and change our brain pattern. The less we use, the more we pass a craving, the less our brain wants it. It is mental as you stated above. We can rewire our brain. It's all in our head.

[willPower4me]

And one more thing, you are not full blown relapse. You took 1 pill. Don't take anymore. Clear it from your brain but feel it in your heart, you won't repeat it. I guarantee! You are strong, you have gotten far and know it can be done. Good luck. Keep posting. I am recently sober from a pill or 2. Don't do what I did. That is why I understand. Read books on how to change bad habits. Worked for me.

[gnarly_1]

AS Addicts we can rationalize or reason our selfs into anything ....are best thinking got us here.....it is the ability to learn to change the very way we think and reason that will put this disease in check.........Gnarly

[willPower4me]

If you ride the wave surge ( the craving starts, escalates like a wave, eventually gets smaller, and  dissipates) your cravings will be less and less. Focus on a project or something else. Whatever you do , don't rationalize taking pills .it's rather cognitive.

[gnarly_1]

HI  ....these things constantly haunt the addict .....we get lost in our own heads....over think things you need to captivate your thoughts....first it a thought your not responsible for that ....then you start obsessing this is where you need to be mindful and take the thought captive from here it can soon become an action ....relapse often start out as a thought days ahead of times if your not mindful and process the thought correctly you can very well wind up using.....I always say this thing is 1/3 physical 2/3 mental it is the mental part that you have to deal with long after the physical is long gone......this is why we push aftercare so hard we know from experience what is ahead for most of us....this mindscrew so to speak is something most of us will face it up to you to know how to process it by working with a conslor or threw programs like N/A or A/A you will soon realize your not alone or different then others you can chose to lean the skills from the school of hard knocks or you can follow a path already hoed by others it up to you....relapse is no fun for anyone ....your best bet is to learn from it and put it behind you and ask yourself ''what can I do different this time around''  and have a new plan to succeed .....this journey is often a bumpy one you have to learn to pick yourself up dust yourself off and move on a little wiser and as Sara says .....''keep your guard up'' all thew time....Gnarly          

[willPower4me]

Don't be. Let it go. Start over. Sometimes it's better not to count clean days, as you trigger your mind to keep thinking about it. Not to say it's bad. But realize howling u been clean only once Ina while. Forget about it and start over. U r human!

[Hatetrampillz]

Did you read my post? Took a pill yesterday after 32 days.  Dust off and keep going but learn? I'm so mad at myself

[willPower4me]

Sleep is the last thing to return . Did you try over the counter stuff?

[hungouttodry]

  43 days into my recovery still having trouble sleeping , am I doing something wrong or is this any near normal? I was told to get off vicodin it takes 6 to 8 weeks. I guess it must be true cuz Im still going thru them. Is there any one else out there having same problem?

[willPower4me]

Thanks. It helps me, and I want to help others....

[Slim_Shady]

STANDING OVATION WILL!!! WELL PUT!!!

[quitinoxys]

Great post it is spot on!!!!!